Reports: The Hornets are open to trade PJ Washington, if needed

PJ Washington is reportedly available for trade. The Charlotte Hornets have stated they are open to letting go of their power forward.

PJ Washington is in the last year of his rookie contract with the Hornets.

Prior to the season starting, Charlotte offered PJ Washington a four-year, roughly $50 million extension. However, the power forward and the Hornets were unable to come to an agreement.

There is an understanding that PJ Washington believes he is worth more than that. He is apparently seeking something closer to $20 million per year. The extension that the Hornets offered him only sits at roughly $10.5-$13 million per year.

The Hornets power forward is still a young player. Washington is currently averaging 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, all while shooting below his career-average percentage.

Since he putting up below his career averages in rebounds and assists so far this year, it makes sense why Charlotte is open to trade offers.

Opening up the doors for the PJ Washington market is going to allow the Hornets to explore their options more broadly. Instead of having to commit to the price that is going to make their young player happy, the market can now dictate that.

By staying open to the market, Washington leaves himself in an area that can better define his worth as a player.

If a team out there believes in him or his future, paying Washington the money that he wants might give him a boost into that next level of play.

However, if nobody picks him up, it arguably says that Washington should have taken that extension with the Hornets. By not accepting it, he leaves himself the opportunity to get more, of course, but he has to play hard enough to prove to teams that he is worth his asking price.

However, holding below-career averages during the season he has decided to test the open waters is not a good look.

Is PJ Washington worth $20 million a year?

Players around the $20 million salary mark include Fred VanVleet, Jerami Grant, Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, and more.

Fred VanVleet averages 18.8 points-per-game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 40.9% from the three. Stats like these do not take into accout all the supplementary leadership he does for the Toronto Raptors.

Jerami Grant, who is also a power forward, is currently averaging 20.1 points a game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 47.4% from the three. Grant is also averaging 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Each of these stats is higher than his career averages.

Mikal Bridges, who is the lowest paid of the aforementioned players, is in the exact same boat as VanVleet and Grant.

Bridges is currently averaging 16.1 points while shooting 54.9% from the field and 46.7% from the three. All above-career averages.

For measure, Washington is averaging 15.1 points per game while shooting 42.7% from the field and 33.3% from the three. His scoring average and shooting percentages are all noticeably lower than that of those who are paid $20 million.

PJ Washington is inevitably going to have to pick it up this season if he wants that desired payday.

VanVleet, Grant, Dinwiddie and Bridges are all leaders or star secondaries that cannot be replaced. The reliable shooting percentages make them wonderful teammates that produce even more than the dollar figure on their contract.

Fred VanVleet won the championship less than five years ago and continues to deploy the same reliability and gets paid what Washington wants to.

Once all of these stats are side-by-side, it shows that Washington is asking for a value a little higher than his output on the floor. If he wants to prove himself as a $20 million annual player, he is inevitably going to have to step up his game, unless there is a team out there that believes giving Washington what he wants will help excel him into that role for them.